Imagine this scenario – a team are bottom of their league at
Christmas time but go on an incredible run in the second half of the season to
stay up before carrying that momentum on into the following campaign to win
their league.
For Leicester City, that became reality as they lifted the
Premiership title in the 2015-16 season pulling off a near miraculous escape in
the campaign prior to that – and Kevin Nicholson will be hoping that Torquay
United can draw inspiration from the Foxes’ feats.
Certain parallels can be found with Leicester’s achievements
and United’s performances last season, the Gulls were bottom of the league on
Christmas Day before showing promotion winning form to clinch the title.
During his seven years as a player with the Gulls, Nicholson
served under both Paul Buckle and Martin Ling amongst others and, particularly
during the last three months of last season, he has demonstrated that he has
learned plenty from the two aforementioned individuals whilst playing under
them.
The Conference promotion winning side that Nicholson played
in under Buckle was very much a ‘Conference team made for the Conference’ full
of strong characters, perhaps typified by their Play-off final win over
Cambridge which included a goalkeeper with a broken jaw (Michael Poke), a
centre back with leukaemia (Chris Todd) and a centre forward with a fractured
cheekbone (Tim Sills).
Nicholson’s Gulls of 2016 possess a strong spine with
American goalkeeper Brendan Moore between the sticks, skipper Angus MacDonald has
proved to be an important lynchpin in the centre of defence is
leaving for Championship side Barnsley, however summer signing Sean McGinty – who has the distinction
of being the last Manchester United player to be released by Sir Alex Ferguson
– could yet fill that role, Luke Young has the potential to be hugely
influential dictating play from the centre of midfield and last season’s
leading scorer Nathan Blissett will be looking to lead the attack.
Much of Nicholson’s squad building has been overshadowed by
the ‘will they, won’t they’ takeover saga involving Swindon-based firm Gaming
International, which has now collapsed, but with the budget he has been given
he has – on the face of it – used it wisely.
Whilst there might be some uncertainty following the
takeover deal with GI falling through, it is also worth remembering that in the
past Torquay United have often been at their strongest when all the odds are
seemingly against them.
Nicholson has also made some other important acquisitions in
the returning Damon Lathrope and Lathaniel Rowe-Turner as well as Dan Sparkes,
who famously netted a hat-trick against United for
Last season injuries proved to be something of an Achilles
heel for the Gulls– with Young in particular experiencing a lengthy absence –
but if physio Gareth Law ends up spending much of the season twiddling his
thumbs, then it could be a sure sign that United have done very well indeed.
In: Aman Verma & Lathaniel Rowe-Turner (Kidderminster
Harriers), Dan Sparkes (Braintree Town), Brendan Moore (Fleetwood Town), Brett
Williams (Forest Green Rovers), Damon Lathrope & Sean McGinty (Aldershot
Town), Jamie Robba (Unattached), Jamie Reid (Exeter City loan), Chey Scrivens
(West Bromwich Albion loan)
Out: Angus MacDonald (Barnsley, undisclosed),Toby Ajala (Gateshead), Daniel Butler (Newport County),
Oneil Odofin (Corby Town), Iffy Allen (Aldershot Town), Shaun Harrad (Wrexham),
Grant Fisher (Buckland Athletic), Liam Prynn (St Austell), Exodus Geohaghon, Danny Racchi
Player to Watch: Sam Chaney
One of the products of the Gulls’ now defunct youth set-up,
Chaney was given his first taste of first team football by Nicholson, and even
earned a favourable comparison with former United midfield maestro Eunan
O’Kane, now of Bournemouth. In his first team outings towards the end of last
season, Chaney proved that those comparisons were more than just a passing
compliment and it will be interesting to observe his progress in the
forthcoming campaign.
